


All This Liquor Bringing Out The Truth

by thesoundofnat



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types
Genre: Drinking, First Kiss, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-19 02:04:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12400869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesoundofnat/pseuds/thesoundofnat
Summary: Rhodey wasn’t really sure what they were doing, but all he knew was that he didn’t want it to stop.





	All This Liquor Bringing Out The Truth

It wasn’t planned. Or well, at least not on Rhodey’s part. He wasn’t as sure about Tony. Was never really sure about Tony, despite how many years went by.

All he knew was that he was just shy of 30 and more exhausted than he should be. All he knew was that spending an evening in his apartment with a drink in one hand and either some sort of card game or another hand in his other was his favorite way to kill his little free time. All he knew was that, that night, Tony was in his other hand. Or at least his calf was. Pants rolled up, the blue bruise on his shin turning yellow in a way that was almost fascinating. It had been a week since Rhodey had accidentally kicked the heel of his shoe into said shin, and Tony, who wasn’t mad as much as he was amused, was showing Rhodey the healing process purely to stress him out and apologize. Or maybe it was to show him that it really hadn’t been a big deal. Would be completely gone in a month, top. Rhodey’s money was on the latter, but he wouldn’t put it past his friend to have been considering the first.

Maybe that was his exhaustion speaking.

Rhodey shook his head. “Put that away before I go down on my knees to beg for forgiveness.”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “ _That_ I would like to see, but I’ll refrain because you’re holding a drink and I would like to be holding one of my own.”

Rhodey gave an uninjured part of his leg a light slap. “You know where everything is.”

Tony withdrew his leg, pulled the pant leg down, and made his way over to Rhodey’s liquor cabinet, which really sounded a lot fancier than it was. Rhodey watched him make the drink, occasionally taking a sip of his own, and refusing to think of this past week. That was one of their few rules on Friday nights; if one of them didn’t want to talk about work, then the other wouldn’t push. They both seemed eager to not as much as breathe a word about it that evening.

Tony joined him on the couch a moment later, already drinking as if the idea of this exact drink had gotten him through the week, even though Rhodey knew this wasn’t even his drink that day. Still they toasted, too tired to think of the ways they were messed up, still holding onto the carefreeness that came with youth. A youth they were losing, and a lot quicker than they should’ve due to the never-ending ladder they were climbing, or attempting to climb, career wise.

Maybe Rhodey would finally relax once he’d retired.

“You know,” Tony said, placing his now empty glass on the coffee table in front of them. “I’ve been thinking.”

“You tend to do that.”

“It’s my strongest asset. Now listen. How does Hawaii sound? You and I. A tropical beach. A coconut drink in one hand and a book in the other to give the illusion of sophistication. Or westerners vacationing.”

“Hawaii?”

“Or anywhere, really. Just name it. We could go to Thailand, or Paris if you’re not up for sun and saltwater.”

“You’re desperate enough that you’d bring me to the city of love?”

“I love you, what’s the problem?”

Rhodey laughed, promptly ignoring the part of him that wanted to go, and achingly so. “Maybe Paris isn’t for us.”

“Where then? Just say a place. We don’t even have to go to just one place. We could have a grand tour of Europe like they did in the old days.”

“Tones-”

In the heat of the moment, Tony had scooted so close to him that his breath now hit Rhodey’s face, and those wide and excited eyes were enough for Rhodey to know that it had been a bad week. Tony could go wherever he wanted, and mostly whenever he wanted, but he wanted to bring Rhodey. He wanted a familiar comfort, and that was both touching and dangerous.

Rhodey put his drink down.

“Can it wait until the New Year at least? I have a lot- uh, I mean.” Realizing he shouldn’t mention work, for both of their sakes, Rhodey tried to backpedal. “Let’s just stay in California for the weekend, okay?”

Tony grinned, all teeth and head tilts and eyes so sparkly it should be illegal. “California is big.”

“And a weekend only has two days.”

“Two days are more than enough.”

All Rhodey knew was that Tony had somehow moved even closer, and they were both desperate for  _something_ , and maybe all their longing was meant to result in something else, but all they had was each other - all they had was  _now_ \- and without putting any thought into what his future self would say; what tomorrow’s hungover and clear headed James Rhodes would say, Rhodey leaned in and let his lips collide with Tony’s.

Tony froze for just a second, and had Rhodey been sober he would’ve backed off immediately, but then Tony was kissing him back, hands finding Rhodey’s face, taking him in in such a hungry manner that almost made Rhodey believe he’d been starving, even though he knew he hadn’t. Rhodey’s own hands circled around him, fingernails digging into Tony’s back as he brought him closer, closer, until their chests were almost one.

Rhodey wasn’t really sure what they were doing, but all he knew was that he didn’t want it to stop.

Tony was breathing heavily into his mouth and face now, and Rhodey knew they would need to break apart for air soon, which could so easily break the spell and ruin everything. He didn’t want to ruin everything, so he pulled away before it was time, his heart on his goddamn sleeve as he whispered, “I’m sorry, are you sure you-”

Tony didn’t let him finish. Only pulled him back in to kiss him again. Harder. Deeper. Less desperate and more passionate.

And it felt right.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://thesoundofnat.tumblr.com/)


End file.
